The Danish Film Institute and the Finnish Film Foundation both posted official statement on Tuesday, explaining their positions.

“Russia's invasion of Ukraine has in recent days triggered a series of sanctions and boycotts, including in the field of culture. The Danish Minister for Culture, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, has instructed all government institutions within the arts and culture to cease all cooperation with Russia, and the Minister calls on Danish cultural institutions in general, to take the same consistent line,” said the Institute.

Regarding specific film-related activities, the Danish Film Institute said it had withdrawn Bille August’s film The Pact from the programme of the Moscow Film Festival (April 21-28), and had ‘no other collaborations” planned with Russia, including co-productions. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a tragic breach of everything that shapes a civilised world, and a tragedy that must be condemned from all sides. Of course, we must not, even in the field of film, work with Russia under the current circumstances,” said the Institute’s CEO Claus Ladegaard.

A similar message was published by the Finnish Film Foundation on March 1st.

“Due to Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Finnish Film Foundation has cut off all cooperation with the Russian film industry,” said the Foundation, mentioning the suspension of co-productions with Russia, although no more than one or two projects associating the two nations are produced each year. Urging local producers not to send their films to Russian events, the Foundation also said it would not submit any Finnish film to Russian film events (including the Moscow Film Festival) and neither cover attendance costs to Russian events, for the time being.

Aware of the risk of making Russian filmmakers collateral victims of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, Lasse Saarinen, head of the Finnish Film Foundation said: “I truly hope that when everything calms down a little bit, we can separate fine Russian filmmakers from the state’s invasion. Right now, it is difficult.”

Iceland also took a firm stand in solidarity of Ukraine. Laufey Guðjónsdóttir, director of the Icelandic Film Centre told nordicfilmandtvnews.com: “In the light of the sad and shocking events in Ukraine, the government of Iceland has condemned the war led by Russia and announces its support to Ukraine. The same applies for the Icelandic Film Centre, and we will not collaborate with Russia under the circumstances,” she said, adding that no co-productions with Russia are currently under way.

Regarding festivals, the head of the Icelandic Film Centre said: “Icelandic films have been selected for various festivals through the years, and we have had a good relationship with many individual artists and curators in the film sector. We will not be working on that level either during these times. Let‘s hope for a peace soon,” she added.

Contacted by nordicfilmandtvnews.com, the Swedish Film Institute’s press office referred to Culture Minister Jeanette Gustafsdotter’s statement to press agency TT, in which she urges not to support the Russian government through cultural cooperation”, click here.

The Institute’s interim CEO Mathias Rosengren also said: “We have no collaboration with Russia in the field of film and will not enter into any new one.”

As for the Norwegian Film Institute, the head of the International Department Dag Asbjørnsen said the film body “stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people”, and is in the process of determining its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Across the entire audiovisual sector, solidarity with Ukraine is now pouring in two weeks after Russia’s launch of its military operations.

Among international heavy-weight players, Netflix is said to have temporarily stopped all future projects and acquisitions in Russia, according to Reuter who spoke to an informed source, while the Cannes Film Festival said it will “not welcome official Russian delegations, nor accept the presence of anyone linked to the Russian government, while paying tribute to “the courage of all those in Russia who have taken risks to protest against the assault and invasion of Ukraine.“

Elsewhere, Stockholm-based global distributor Eccho Rights has pledged a €50,000 donation to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, and at the same time, removed all Russian-owned and produced series from its catalogue. The company has also announced the licensing to the UK’s Channel 4, MBC in the Middle East, ANT 1 in Greece and PRO TV in Romania, of the 2016 series Servant of the People, created by and starring Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Nicola Söderlund, Managing Partner at Eccho Rights said: "The series is a comedy but also an important document of where Zelenskiy comes from. His fictional president is a normal man, who grows into his role as a heroic and adored leader. While the real world scenario facing Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian people is far more grim and appalling than the comedy of the series, there are obvious parallels with the real world situation and Servant of the People, is a fascinating, important and historic piece of television.”

The Göteborg Film Festival for its part has partnered with production company Story, Draken Film and Folkets Bio to host physical and online screenings in Sweden of Simon Lereng Wilmont's A House Made of Splinters, set in a children's home in Eastern Ukraine.

All profits will go to the Ukrainian NGO Voices of Children - for more information CLICK HERE.